Sprinkler head



Feb. 23, 1943. q. M, JOHN ON 2,312,252

SPRINKLER HEAD Filed Nov. 16, 1940 John-M. Johnson,

(leave/1 Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRINKLER HEAD John M. Johnson, Kansas City, Mo.

Application November 16, 1940, Serial No. 365,982

Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in sprinkler heads for employment in automatic sprinkler systems such as are installed in buildings for protection against fires.

Sprinkler heads sometimes get out of order and open accidently when there is no fire to extinguish. When this occurs considerable property loss is entailed by water discharged from the sprinkler system and a false alarm is transmitted that will call out the fire apparatus.

An object of my invention is to prevent accidental opening of the sprinkler heads which may be associated with local electric alarm circuits through which trouble in any of the sprinkler heads of the sprinkler system may be located and repairs made without sending in a false alarm or interrupting the sprinkler service.

A further object is to provide a sprinkler head which may be associated with an electric fire alarm circuit so that in the event a fire occurs and causes the sprinkler head to open an alarm will be transmitted to call out the fire apparatus.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the sprinkler head.

Fig. 2 is a combined side elevation and vertical section of the sprinkler head in closed position.

Fig. 3 is an irregular cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a. broken vertical section showing the sprinkler head in open position.

Fig.5 is a diagram of the circuits.

Referring in detail to the different parts, 2 designates the sprinkler head which consists of a tubular shell provided at its upper end with a valve seat 6 and at itslower end with screw threads 8 so that it may be readily connected to a pipe of the sprinkler system, not shown. A composite valve comprising elements In, 4 and I6 is adapted to rest upon the seat 6 to close the.

upper end of the passageway I2 extending vertically through the sprinkler head. The element l6 consists preferably of insulation and has an upwardly extending axial boss I8 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The valve is normally held seated by a plurality of parts consisting in the present instance of a pair of members 29 and 2 I, a similar pair 22 and 23, and two adjustable elements 24 and 25. The members 29 and 22 bear upon and hold the valve to its seat and their lower ends are spaced apart by the boss l8, diametrically opposed portions of which they engage.

The members 20 and 22 have shoes 26 and 21 extending outwardly at right angles from their respective upper ends for the reception of feet 29 and 30 extending outwardly at right angles from the lower ends of the respective members 2| and 23. The feet 29 and 30 are normally held in the shoes with solder 32 and 34 adapted to fuse at a predetermined temperature. The feet 29 and 39 are provided near their outer distal ends with upwardly extending tubular portions 35 and 36 in which the upper ends of coil springs 38 and 49 are seated. The lower ends of the springs press against the upper side of the respective shoes 26 and 21 to dislodge the feet therefrom 0n fusing of the solder. The tension of the springs 33 and 40 is regulated by the adjustable elements 24 and 25, and by screws 42 and 44 threaded in the upper ends of the respective tubular portions 35 and 36.

The feet 29 and 39 are provided at their inner or adjacent ends with upwardly extending bosses 46 and 48 which are internally threaded for reception of the lower threaded portions of the elements 24 and 25, the upper ends of which are tapered and seated in insulators 5i! and 52 secured in the underside of respective abutments 54 and 56 depending from diametrically opposed portions of a disk 58 integral with the upper part of a yoke 60 extending upwardly from diametrically opposed portions of the sprinkler head. The disk 58 has a water spreader 59 fixed thereon for spreading the water from the sprinkler system as it is discharged through the sprinkler head. The elements 24 and 25 have rectangular intermediate portions 62 and 64, respectively, whereby they may be rotated with a wrench or other suitable tool to force the two sets of members 20, 2| and 22, 23 downward to compress the springs 38'and 49 and to hold the valve to its seat against the pressure in the sprinkler system. The pressure on either set of members is sufiicient to hold the valve to its seat should one of the sets become dislodged, but in the event both sets become dislodged the pressure of the water will unseat the valve.

When either set of members 29, 2 I, or 22, 23 become dislodged from any cause as by breakage of a defective member, or disintegration of the fusible solder, notice of the trouble may be given by local electric signal circuits, including wires 61 and 68, to indicate the location of the particular sprinkler head at which the trouble occurs. A fire alarm circuit is also provided for sending an alarm to the fire department in the event a fire occurs and melts the fusible alloy of both sets of members 20, 2| and 22, 23.

Fig. 5 shows normally closed local circuits 61,

6B, 69 and 10 for two sprinkler heads, but this number may be varied according to the number of sprinkler heads employed in the sprinkler system. Each local circuit includes a source of electrical energy 12, an electromagnet 14, a circuit wire 16, and either a set of members 20 and 2 l, or 22 and 23.

Should the set of members 20 and 2| of circuit 61 become disconnected from any cause and thus open the circuit, the associated electromagnet 14 will become deenergized and permit its armature 18 to close a signal circuit comprising the armature 18, a branch wire 80, a visual signal 82,.a line wire 83, a source of electrical energy 84, an audible signal 86, and a wire 81. The audiblesignal 86 attracts attention and the visual signal 82 indicates the particular location of the trouble.

If the set of members 22 and 23 of circuit- 68: becomes dislodged instead of the members 20 and 2!, the associated electromagnet becomes deenergized and: permits its. armature to close a circuit comprising. the armature, a, branch wire 83, a visual signal 90:, the linewire. 83, the alarm signal 86, a--line-wire 92', and a-branchwire 94-. The armatures I8; associated wit-h the electromagnets 14 of the localcircuits 69 and HI, are connected by branchwires 96 and 98 to'the respective line wires-- 83 and.- 92- and adapted to contact the terminals of branch: wires: I and- H32 connected to the respective-line wires 92 and 83 and equipped with visual signals. I04v and I56, respectively,, so that. if either of the local. circuits 69 and; are opened the-audiblesignal 86 an'd't-he visual sis:- nal lM or I06 will become-energized.

In. the-event. that a fire occurs and meltsthe fusible alloy inall of the local circuits a fire alarm will. be transmitted to fire headquarters through branch wires IOB, Band 2, contacts H4 carried bybut insulated from the respective armatures l8, and-linewires H6 and l I8',,respectively. The line wires:- H6 and '8 receive current from a source [:-andareequipped with an audible signal I22.

The flow ofcurrent through the difierent circuitswhenclosedis-indicatedby the dotted arrow heads.

While-I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of myinvention, I reserve all rights tosuch changes and'modifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of; the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim. anddesire-to secure'by Letters Patent is:

11 Asprinkler. head: comprising a tubular shell having an inlet end forconnection with a sprinkler-systemand a: discharge end; having a, valveseat:;, a-v valve; resting; upon: said. seat,. a plurality of: separable members assembled in pairs; which are mountedupon: the valve and. either pair of which isadapted to normally holdthevalve seated;.each pair of members: having a foot on one member and; a shoe on. the companion member to receive said foot, means for pressing each pair of members downward, to hold the valve seat-ed, and-.fusiblemeanslfor normally securing each foot initsshoe. to hold the respective pairs of members in' assembly.

2. A sprinkler head comprising a tubular shell having; an inlet end for connection with a sprinkler systemand a. discharge end having a valveseat, a valve resting; upon said seat, aplurality of separable members assembled in pairs which are mounted upon the valve and either pair of which is adapted to normally hold the valve seated, each pair of members having a foot on one member and a shoe on the companion member to receive said foot, means for pressing each pair of members downward to hold the valve seated, fusible means for normally securing each foot in its respective shoe, and spring means for dislodging the foot from the shoe on fusing of the fusible means.

3. A sprinkler head comprising a tubular shell having an inlet end for connection to a sprinkler system and a discharge end having a valve seat, a valve resting upon said seat and. provided with an upwardly extending boss, a plurality of upper and. lower members assembled in pairs, the lower endsofthe lower members bearing upon the valve and engaging diametrically opposed portions of the boss, the upper members of each pair being superimposed on the lower members and each having' an upwardly extending internally threaded boss; fusible means for normally securing the upper members. in assembly withthe respective lower members, upwardly extending adjustable members threaded at their lower end in the respective last-mentioned-bosses and adapted to-exert pressure thereon-to hold the valve seated, and ayokeextendingupwardly from the tubular shell andprovided at its upper portion with means in which the-upper ends of said adjustable members are seated.

4. A sprinkler head-comprising a tubular shell having an inlet end'for connection to a, sprinkler system and a discharge end having a valve seat,.a valve resting upon said seat, aplurality of upper and lower members assembled in pairs, the lower ends of the lower members bearing upon the valve, the upper members of each pair being superimposed on the lower members and each having an upwardly extending internally threaded boss, fusible means for-normally securing the up per members in assembly with therespective lower members. upwardly extending adjustable members threaded at their lower end in the respective last-mentionedbosses and adapted to ex.- ert pressure thereon to hold the valve seated, a yoke extending upwardly from the tubularshell and: provided with a disk, and abutments dependingfrom said disk and provided with seats forthe upper ends of the respective adjustable members.

5. A sprinkler head comprising a tubular shell having an inlet end for connection with a sprinkler system and a discharge end having a valveseat, a valve resting upon said seat, a plurality of separable members assembled in pairs whichare mounted upon-the valve andeither pair of. which is adapted to normally hold the valve seated, each pair. oimembers having a foot on one member andv ashoe on the companion member to. receive said foot, means for pressing eachv pair of members downward to hold the valve seated, fusible means for normally securing each foot in itsshoe tox-hold therespcctive pairs of members in assembly, upwardly extending adjustable members threaded at their. lower end in the respective lastimentioned bosses and adapted. to exert pressure thereon to hold the valve seated, a yoke extending upwardly from the tubular shell, a disk at the upper end of said yoke provided with seats for the upper ends of the respective adjustable members, and a water spreader superimposed upon said disk.

JOHN M. JOHNSON. 

